A system and method for maintaining associations within a social network for a user are provided. A device proximate a user device is identified. It is determined whether the identified device is associated with an entity having a pre-established association with a user of the user device within the social network. The user is associated with the entity within the social network if the identified device is not associated with an entity having a pre-established association with the user if a determination is made that the user is to be associated with the entity. The user-entity association is maintained within the social network based upon whether the entity and the user device remain proximate.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A method for maintaining associations within a social network for a user comprising: identifying a device proximate to a user device; determining whether the identified device is associated with an entity having a pre-established association with a user of the user device within the social network; associating the user with the entity within the social network if the identified device is not associated with an entity having a pre-established association with the user; determining that the entity and the user device are no longer proximate; waiting an amount of time if the entity and the user device are no longer proximate; after waiting the amount of time, determining whether the entity and the user device are still no longer proximate; and removing the user-entity association within the social network if the entity and the user device are still no longer proximate.
A method for managing social network connections automatically. The system identifies nearby devices, checks if those devices are linked to entities (e.g., businesses, other users) that already connect to the current user within the social network. If a nearby device is linked to a new entity, the system creates a new connection between the user and the entity. If the devices move apart and remain apart for a set time, the system will remove the user-entity connection.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising re-establishing the user-entity association within the social network when the entity and the user device are proximate again.
The method described above (identifying nearby devices, checking for existing connections, creating new connections, and removing connections after prolonged separation) will also automatically re-establish a user-entity connection if the devices come into proximity again.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising: determining when the entity and the user device are again proximate; determining whether a re-establish wait period has expired since removing the user-entity association within the social network; and if the re-establish wait period has expired, re-establishing the user-entity association within the social network.
Building on the connection re-establishment feature, this method adds a waiting period. When devices are in proximity again (after a connection was previously removed), the system checks if a "re-establish wait period" has passed since the removal. If this period has expired, the user-entity connection is automatically re-established. Otherwise, re-establishment doesn't occur until the wait period is over, preventing immediate reconnection.
4. The method of claim 2 further comprising: determining when the entity and the user device are again proximate; determining whether a re-establish wait period has expired since removing the user-entity association within the social network; and if the re-establish wait period has expired: determining whether to establish the user-entity association within the social network as a function of a comparison of at least one attribute of the user and at least one attribute of the entity; and re-establishing the user-entity association within the social network if a determination is made to establish the user-entity association within the social network.
Enhancing the reconnection process, this method adds attribute comparison. When devices are in proximity again (after a connection was removed and a re-establish wait period has passed), the system compares user and entity attributes (e.g., interests, demographics). Based on this comparison, the system decides whether to re-establish the connection. If the attribute comparison indicates a good match, the user-entity connection is re-established; otherwise, it remains disconnected.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein associating the user with the entity within the social network if the identified device is not associated with an entity having a pre-established association with the user comprises: determining whether to establish the user-entity association within the social network as a function of a comparison of at least one attribute of the user and at least one attribute of the entity; and establishing the user-entity association within the social network if a determination is made to establish the user-entity association within the social network.
Instead of immediately associating a user with an entity based on proximity, the system first compares attributes of the user and the entity (e.g. interests, demographics). Based on this comparison, the system decides whether to create the connection. If the attribute comparison indicates a good match, the user-entity connection is established; otherwise, it remains disconnected.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein determining whether to establish the user-entity association within the social network comprises: comparing the at least one attribute of the user and the at least one attribute of the entity to provide a correlation score; and determining that the user-entity association is to be established if the correlation score is greater than a first threshold.
For determining whether to establish a user-entity connection via attribute comparison, this method calculates a "correlation score" by comparing user and entity attributes. If this score exceeds a defined "first threshold," the system automatically creates the user-entity connection. This threshold determines the minimum similarity required for an automatic connection.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising: if the correlation score is less than the first threshold: determining whether the correlation score is greater than a second threshold; and if the correlation score is greater than the second threshold: notifying the user of the entity such that the user is enabled to choose whether to establish the user-entity association; and establishing the user-entity association if the user chooses to establish the user-entity association.
Expanding on the correlation score logic, this method incorporates user notification. If the correlation score is below the "first threshold" (automatic connection), the system checks if it exceeds a lower "second threshold." If it's between the two thresholds, the user is notified about the entity and given the option to connect. The user-entity connection is only created if the user explicitly chooses to establish it.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the entity is one of a business establishment and a user of an electronic device.
The "entity" in the user-entity connection described in the first method (identifying nearby devices, checking for existing connections, creating new connections, and removing connections after prolonged separation) can be either a business establishment (e.g., a store) or another user of an electronic device.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the user-entity association within the social network is the user being a follower of the business.
When the "entity" is a business, the "user-entity association" created within the social network described in the first method (identifying nearby devices, checking for existing connections, creating new connections, and removing connections after prolonged separation) specifically represents the user becoming a "follower" of that business within the social network.
10. A system comprising: a communication interface communicatively coupling the system to devices via a communication network; and a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to: identify a device proximate to a user device; determine whether the identified device is associated with an entity having a pre-established association with a user of the user device within the social network; associate the user with the entity within the social network if the identified device is not associated with an entity having a pre-established association with the user; determine that the entity and the user device are no longer proximate; wait an amount of time if the entity and the user device are no longer proximate; after waiting the amount of time, determine whether the entity and the user device are still no longer proximate; and remove the user-entity association within the social network if the entity and the user device are still no longer proximate.
A system that manages social network connections automatically, including a communication interface for connecting to devices, and a control system to: identify a device proximate to a user device; determine whether the identified device is associated with an entity having a pre-established association with a user of the user device within the social network; associate the user with the entity within the social network if the identified device is not associated with an entity having a pre-established association with the user; determine that the entity and the user device are no longer proximate; wait an amount of time if the entity and the user device are no longer proximate; after waiting the amount of time, determine whether the entity and the user device are still no longer proximate; and remove the user-entity association within the social network if the entity and the user device are still no longer proximate.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein the control system is further adapted to: re-establish the user-entity association within the social network when the entity and the user device are proximate again.
The system described above (identifying nearby devices, checking for existing connections, creating new connections, and removing connections after prolonged separation) includes a control system that is also designed to automatically re-establish a user-entity connection if the devices come into proximity again.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein the control system is further adapted to: determine when the entity and the user device are again proximate; determine whether a re-establish wait period has expired since removing the user-entity association within the social network; and if the re-establish wait period has expired, re-establish the user-entity association within the social network.
Building on the connection re-establishment feature of the system, the control system is further designed to add a waiting period. When devices are in proximity again (after a connection was previously removed), the system checks if a "re-establish wait period" has passed since the removal. If this period has expired, the user-entity connection is automatically re-established. Otherwise, re-establishment doesn't occur until the wait period is over, preventing immediate reconnection.
13. The system of claim 11 wherein the control system is further adapted to: determine when the entity and the user device are again proximate; determine whether a re-establish wait period has expired since removing the user-entity association within the social network; and if the re-establish wait period has expired: determine whether to establish the user-entity association within the social network as a function of a comparison of at least one attribute of the user and at least one attribute of the entity; and re-establish the user-entity association within the social network if a determination is made to establish the user-entity association within the social network.
Enhancing the reconnection process, the control system adds attribute comparison. When devices are in proximity again (after a connection was removed and a re-establish wait period has passed), the system compares user and entity attributes (e.g., interests, demographics). Based on this comparison, the system decides whether to re-establish the connection. If the attribute comparison indicates a good match, the user-entity connection is re-established; otherwise, it remains disconnected.
14. The system of claim 10 wherein the control system is further adapted to: determine whether to establish the user-entity association within the social network as a function of a comparison of at least one attribute of the user and at least one attribute of the entity; and establish the user-entity association within the social network if a determination is made to establish the user-entity association within the social network.
Instead of immediately associating a user with an entity based on proximity, the system's control system first compares attributes of the user and the entity (e.g. interests, demographics). Based on this comparison, the control system decides whether to create the connection. If the attribute comparison indicates a good match, the user-entity connection is established; otherwise, it remains disconnected.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein the control system is further adapted to: compare the at least one attribute of the user and the at least one attribute of the entity to provide a correlation score; and determine that the user-entity association is to be established if the correlation score is greater than a first threshold.
This invention relates to a system for establishing associations between users and entities based on attribute matching. The system addresses the challenge of accurately linking users with relevant entities in a digital environment, such as social networks, recommendation systems, or access control systems, where automated matching must be both precise and efficient. The system includes a control system that processes at least one attribute of a user and at least one attribute of an entity. These attributes may include demographic data, behavioral patterns, preferences, or other identifying characteristics. The control system compares these attributes to generate a correlation score, which quantifies the degree of similarity or relevance between the user and the entity. If the correlation score exceeds a predefined first threshold, the system determines that a user-entity association should be established. This threshold ensures that only sufficiently strong matches are validated, reducing false positives and improving system reliability. The system may also include additional components, such as a user interface for inputting or displaying attributes, a database for storing attribute data, and a communication module for transmitting association results. The control system may further adjust the threshold dynamically based on contextual factors, such as user behavior or system load, to optimize matching accuracy. This approach enhances automation in user-entity pairing while maintaining high confidence in the associations formed.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein the control system is further adapted to: if the correlation score is less than the first threshold: determine whether the correlation score is greater than a second threshold; and if the correlation score is greater than the second threshold: notify the user of the entity such that the user is enabled to choose whether to establish the user-entity association; and establish the user-entity association if the user chooses to establish the user-entity association.
Expanding on the correlation score logic, the system's control system incorporates user notification. If the correlation score is below the "first threshold" (automatic connection), the system checks if it exceeds a lower "second threshold." If it's between the two thresholds, the user is notified about the entity and given the option to connect. The user-entity connection is only created if the user explicitly chooses to establish it.
17. The system of claim 10 wherein the entity is one of a business establishment and a user of an electronic device.
The "entity" in the user-entity connection described in the system above (identifying nearby devices, checking for existing connections, creating new connections, and removing connections after prolonged separation) can be either a business establishment (e.g., a store) or another user of an electronic device.
18. The system of claim 17 wherein the user-entity association within the social network is the user being a follower of the business.
When the "entity" is a business, the "user-entity association" created within the social network described in the system above (identifying nearby devices, checking for existing connections, creating new connections, and removing connections after prolonged separation) specifically represents the user becoming a "follower" of that business within the social network.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein if the user-entity association within the social network is the user being a follower of the business the control system is further adapted to: send information regarding the business to the user via the communication interface.
If the user is following a business, the control system sends information regarding the business to the user via the communication interface.
20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising software with instructions for: identifying a device proximate to a user device; determining whether the identified device is associated with an entity having a pre-established association with a user of the user device within the social network; associating the user with the entity within the social network if the identified device is not associated with an entity having a pre-established association with the user; determining that the entity and the user device are no longer proximate; waiting an amount of time if the entity and the user device are no longer proximate; after waiting the amount of time, determining whether the entity and the user device are still no longer proximate; and removing the user-entity association within the social network if the entity and the user device are still no longer proximate.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium stores instructions for: identifying a device proximate to a user device; determining whether the identified device is associated with an entity having a pre-established association with a user of the user device within the social network; associating the user with the entity within the social network if the identified device is not associated with an entity having a pre-established association with the user; determining that the entity and the user device are no longer proximate; waiting an amount of time if the entity and the user device are no longer proximate; after waiting the amount of time, determining whether the entity and the user device are still no longer proximate; and removing the user-entity association within the social network if the entity and the user device are still no longer proximate.
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June 20, 2016
June 6, 2017
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